


Pine Needles

by QuillsAndInk



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, Christmas Time, Christmas Tree, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, SPN Mini Holiday Reverse Bang 2019, Shenanigans, Sweet, Tooth Rotting Fluff, brush your teeth after reading, everything is good and nothing hurts, pure fluff, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 00:25:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuillsAndInk/pseuds/QuillsAndInk
Summary: Dean and Cas try to find a Christmas tree. Sweetness and shenanigans ensue





	Pine Needles

**Author's Note:**

> Massive thanks to my endlessly patient artist. My dear, I hope this is what you imagined. You deserve it and more.
> 
> Her amazing art: https://wigglebox.tumblr.com/post/185014288612/this-is-the-artwork-i-did-for-the

   Snow swirled in a slow dance and dusted Castiel’s uncovered hair. He didn’t shiver in his thin trench coat, but Dean still imagined him cold and tucked their clasped fingers warmly within his pocket.

     “Jack would enjoy this,” Castiel commented quietly. They ambled through the lines of freshly cut trees being displayed gaudily in the parking lot of a Walmart.

       “Yeah,” Dean agreed, “but I think he’d rather be making cookies with Sam.” Castiel’s lips twitched at the corners. It was unfairly cute and and Dean leaned in for a kiss that Castiel accepted.

       “I wonder if we’ll have a kitchen to return to,” Castiel mused.

         “Hey!” Dean groused, “don’t make me regret coming here instead of providing supervision.”

         “You’re becoming as possessive of that kitchen as you are of your car,” Castiel observed.

         “Shuddup,” Dean groused good-naturedly. “What about that one?” He pointed to a large fir. The needles were a lovely emerald in the piercing fluorescent lighting. It was tall and round and the branches were thick and strong. Castiel reached out his free hand and brushed a branch gently with his bare fingers. He shook his head.

          “It was killed by a blight and they doused it in pesticides to compensate. I doubt we want to bring these chemicals back to the bunker with us,” Castiel replied.

           “Well, they all came from the same farm, so I’m sure they’ve all been sprayed in the shit,” Dean said. He guided Castiel away and they continued their meandering pace through the rows of trees. Dean poured out several more trees and Castiel refused each one.

         “C’mon, Cas,” Dean said after Castiel turned his nose up at the tenth tree he pointed to. “Can’t we just pick one?”

          “ _You_ were the one who said we had to find the perfect tree,” Castiel said seriously. “I highly doubt that one infested with beetles would fall into that standard.”

        “How the hell would you even know that?” Dean asked a little snappily. Castiel leveled Dean with a cool glare that clearly said he didn’t think he should have to state the obvious. A little involuntary shiver went up Dean’s spine. Castiel was _hot_ when he was annoyed. Dean cleared his throat and shifted his weight from side to side.

         “Fine. Then you pick out the tree, wise ass,” Dean’s said without malice. He bumped Castiel’s shoulder with his own to make sure Castiel knew he was joking. Of course he would. He and Dean were meant to be, as far as Dean was concerned, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. You never knew when a good thing could slip through your fingers. Castiel untangled his fingers from Dean’s and began to lead the way. Dean’s pocket suddenly  felt cold and lonely. God, he was in so deep.

    He and Castiel trudged through the slog of people. It seemed almost improbable that so many people would be looking for Christmas near eight at night in a Walmart parking lot in Nowheresville, Kansas, but here they were, navigating a crowd. Dean didn’t worry about getting losing Castiel in the throngs if people, though. Dean would be able to find him deaf, blind, and numb. A couple people didn’t mean anything.

       “This one!” Castiel said finally. Dean was several places behind him and had to trot around some people to see the perfect tree. It was a dinky little thing, probably cut way too early and shedding its needles unhappily in the cold. The heavy snowflakes made a few thin branches bow. It looked like it would be lucky to survive the night, let alone till Christmas. Dean had certainly not envisioned _that_ as the perfect tree. Castiel knelt beside it, gently brushing snow off the branches so they could rise unsteadily to their former positions. He gave Dean a gummy smile in greeting. Dean melted.

       “That’s quite the Charlie Brown Christmas tree there, Cas,” Dean said. Castiel frowned and squinted, clearly thinking.

       “The one with the children making a mockery of the birth of Christ?” He asked. Dean pressed his hand over his eyes. He just hoped no one overheard.

         “Come on. It’s a classic,” he replied out loud. Castiel scowled. Dean loved it when he scowled.

          “By all historical records, Jesus was born in spring and Mary wouldn’t have—”

          “ _Cas_ ,” Dean said to silence him. “Not all of us have been around since forever and would know all that shit.”

          “You’re not getting any younger yourself,” Castiel replied haughtily

          “ _Hey_ ,” Dean protested. In retaliation, he scooped up the snow Castiel had removed from the tree and hurled it. It splatted against Castiel’s chest and slid off, leaving a slick trail behind it. Castiel’s face slipped neutral. Dean tensed. He knew this was merely a calm before the storm. That expression meant danger. Castiel’s eyes glowed angelic blue for just a moment—quick enough for Dean not to have to scold him for doing something like that in public—and pile of snow plopped wetly on Dean’s head. He shook it off, his head now freezing and wet. Castiel nodded once, lips thin.

        “Now we’re even.” Dean tugged him to his feet and brought him in for a hard kiss. Castiel was warm and Dean was now cold and covered in snow and his lips were so nice. Dean sighed.

       “I love you,” he whispered in the space between them as he withdrew. That’s where Dean admitted to loving Cas: in the small cramped spaces where no one else fit. “No, _now_ we’re even,” he snarked. Castiel rolled his eyes, but a smile was pressed firmly against his lips once again. He took Dean’s hand and twisted their fingers together. Dean tucked their joined hands back into his coat pocket. This time less for Castiel’s imagined coldness and more because they had something the world wasn’t meant to see. Dean and Cas were always twined, but Dean didn’t believe anyone else needed to see it to make it real.

      “I guess you did find the perfect tree,” Dean said finally.

       “I told you I would,” Castiel answered. Dean grinned. He loved the tree because Castiel loved it, weak limbs, pine needles and all.

     

 


End file.
